Consolidating electronics

I think the lowest hanging fruit would be to streamline down to the phone and the Garmin. Obviously, the Garmin provides unique communication functions for emergencies, so that can’t be easily replaced (at least until we have a full network of low earth orbiting satellites). The phone can serve as a camera / GPS / altimeter with an app like Gaia. If you use the phone carefully, I’m certain you can get at least 5 days without a recharge. If you want to leave them on all the time and accumulate a full GPS track, then your battery use will be significantly more.

However, backpacking is about enjoying yourself, and if your camera gives you joy, then ignore the above. :-)

Camera: Colin Fletcher makes a strong case for not bringing a camera in his book The Complete Walker. After a while, every beautiful view becomes a frame for a picture. Something is lost in that process. Long ago I used to put a lot of care into pictures: a manual Nikon FM2, warming colorizers, slides viewed on a projector with family, etc. Even then, no picture truly captured the depth of field, color, and feel of a place. The moment you are actually there somehow becomes richer when there is no camera around. Unless the camera is used for work or documentation purposes, leaving it home improves the experience.

Cellphone: Beside the well documented radiation effects cited in Disconnect by Dr. Devra Davis and Dirty Electricity by Sam Milham, the mind is always tethered to the device. One is never truly in the wild. The dopamine fix to the prefrontal cortex is the cocaine pellet you want to get away from, so why bring it in the first place? For safety reasons a good set of skills will do more. People were fine in the backcountry before the 21st century zombified the planet.

Garmin Mini: A map, compass, and being able to turn contour lines into terrain and vice versa are more useful than a gadget.

Solar Power: Get rid of the electronics and this goes too.

Apple Watch: Why do you need to monitor heart rate and calories? Take the food you normally take. When you get hungry fat burn and the next time take more. There are far more variables than calories: your metabolic rate varies; temperatures vary; the rigors of a hike vary; what you eat varies. A good book that discusses the science behind this is Gary Taubes’s Good Calories, Bad Calories.

Phone for Journaling: Paper and pencil is lighter, tougher, and more aesthetically pleasing.

Nursing electronics from water, impact, and extreme heat and cold, and managing battery life remain a problem.

You summed it up best: “None of these are necessary honestly…”

electronics profile

Short answer: Consolidation … the iPhone remains ever more capable as a multi-function device.  A young videography student told me she’s been able to do 80% of her marketing and artsy videos on it (though a standalone camera is still a course requirement.. she bought via eBay but I digress).  For our daylight nature shots, I’d think an iPhone would be fine (maybe with an UL gimble?).

Long answer: As I fantasize about losing 10 oz on the next shelter, hoping another 10 oz off my next pack, etc.. it also s seems the newer smartphones take up more “juice” too, potentially requiring a bigger external battery.  The stats on the latter haven’t really changed but the gadgets seem hungrier.

Still a smartphone is multiuse with GPS/nav capabilities along with camera, being able to monitor the “home front”, etc.. These will often work as a receiver even in “airplane mode” saving quite a bit of battery.

One easy idea for everyone is a cheap, yet weather hardened watch.  Once I know my pace, I can simply consult my watch to estimate my location.  I’ll leave the smartphone in its case more often than not.  That lack of interaction also reduces the potential of leaving said phone off “airplane” mode, as curiosity often means searching for a signal.

For hikers who also want to add more media, another idea could be “fast” chargers.  Sit down for a coffee (and pastry .. don’t be too cheap) next to an outlet and get a full charge in an hour or so.

I don’t have anything earth shattering to add, but found myself recently with some similar thoughts.  The main electronics I bring in the field are my phone, smartwatch, and a battery bank.  My phone covers navigation, I used my smartwatch (Garmin Instinct) for tracking distance and biometrics.  The data scratched the nerd itch, but the utility was really having my watch to track distance without my phone.  Situations where “road crossing or water source is 3 miles ahead” and I could just watch for roughly that distance and start looking for the landmark.

Thinking back on past experiences and recent trips, I had some similar thoughts.  I didn’t have any of this stuff 5 – 10+ years ago and still loved the experience, why am I really using it.  The thing that sealed the deal for me was two fold –

1.  After charging my watch daily and phone as needed, I still never found the end of my battery bank.  It was too big at 13k mah, but I was pretty sure 5k wouldn’t cut it for both devices on a 4+ day trip.

2.   Simplicity is the most important metric for my hiking gear / style, and the watch was taking me away from that.  It added the distance utility, but drove me crazy when I had to charge it mid day or forgot to plug it in right when I got to camp (and then had to stay awake while it charged).  I was frustrated if I forgot to restart it after a break or missed “credit” for a portion of the activity…even though that’s ridiculous.

The juice wasn’t worth the squeeze for the watch, I’m dropping it this year and picked up a solar powered watch with a built in compass  to replace it (I still want that as a backup for navigation when hiking, hunting, etc.).  After a couple of trips I haven’t found myself missing it at all.  I downsized my battery bank to just charge my phone a time or two as well, shaving some weight from my pack.

Fast chargers (and battery banks) only help if matched by fast (high power) cables and fast rechargeable devices like newer high-end smartphones. Most backpacking-appropriate gadgets won’t charge any faster.

Fast in this context is anything above 18 watts or so. I’ve nearly smoked a few USB cables during accidental testing at 45 watts.

Back to the OP subject: My minimum high-tech electronics load is an inReach Mini (aka “permission ticket”) plus a Casio solar ABC watch, mostly for the time and compass. More and more I’m seeing the advantages of carrying an iPhone, still on the fence.

But I’ve spent decades using paper maps. Customized maps laser printed on double-sided 11×17 paper at a local shop reduce complexity and weight.

— Rex

Obviously, all electronic gadgets run on smoke. When the smoke gets out, they stop working.

“Obviously, all electronic gadgets run on smoke. When the smoke gets out, they stop working.”

Rex, great memory!  I remember when this important and basic law of physics became widely held. Long time ago.

IBM sold magic smoke refill kits in the 1970s:

— Rex :-)

The first step is to admit you have a problem.

It’s hard to leave behind a smart phone that’s so multi-function (still camera, video, step counter, GPS, altimeter, compass, eBook, mapping app, wallet, clock, timer, alarm clock, reference library, games, weather forecasts, ride-calling app, and, oh yeah, it’s a phone!).  But just don’t use continually.  Tuck it away.  If a belt-mounted step counter lets you turn off that app (you can transfer in your step counts later), then it saves more than its weight in batteries.  If you’re constantly checking the time, maybe bring a wristwatch.  Or watch the sun’s progress across the sky.

Printing a few small paper maps and notating them with the time you passed each landmark can help you avoid constantly checking a trail app.  And, I find, gives me a better sense of the surrounding terrain than looking at a tiny screen.

Heart rate can be determined with your fingertip and counting (or the aforementioned wristwatch).  Calories are whatever you packed (unless you’re a uber-hunter-gatherer).

Then you can keep your phone stored and off for many many days without the need for extra batteries and solar panels.

When I worked in Denali I watched countless tourists on buses miss a lot of wildlife action, because they were so focused- literally- on getting the best camera shot. A fellow rider would tell them what they missed, and they’d be angry or upset, a mood that could linger and continue to interfere with their experience. Or they’d never know what they missed while fumbling with another roll of film. The whole experience was designed to show the neighbors photos when they got home. I stopped bringing a camera and immersed myself in the environment. I now occasionally take photos but I spend more time just observing. As always, HYOH. Just something to consider.

David Thomas’s and AK Granola’s advice is good. You have to know yourself.

Some are more prone to addiction to or heavy dependence on the smartphone than others. Those design engineers behind many of the most powerful apps who eventually found their mea culpa now freely admit that they were actually designing to addict users. Nicholas Carr has a number of books and articles on the subject.

So even if you can resist the temptation to turn your device on, the apps themselves are designed to pull at your brain. And because your brain is neuroplastic, this pull affects the very physiology of the brain itself. Resistance, as they say, is futile.

The alternative: keep it off, or, fellow hikers, bring things right back to 1995 and don’t own one.

My question is closely related to the OP, so I’ll pose it here.  I do not own a smartphone, and have never really wanted one.  However, I am now considering purchasing one, without a phone plan, primarily to use while backpacking.  I currently carry a decent quality p&s camera, a NOOK ereader, and an old Inreach SE.  I use map and compass for navigation, but there have been times when GPS would have been nice to have.  So I figure I could take an iphone, which would allow me to leave the camera and ereader at home, and allow me to have GPS if needed (I will always rely on map and compass as my primary navigation tools).  A phone would also allow me to bring nature guide resources.  I occasionally bring a paperback bird field guide with me, but that’s a lot of weight.  The thought of carrying electronic identification resources for bird and plant identification really appeals to me.  I could further drop weight by upgrading my Inreach to a Mini.  Since I have no experience with smartphones, does this seem like a reasonable idea?  And what would be a good choice for a phone?  Again, I would not plan to use it for anything but backpacking.  I’m assuming that for longer trips I would need to carry a lightweight powerbank with me.

That’s a great plan, in my opinion. You can replace several devices with one device.

I’m partial to Apple products. The SE is a very cost-effective and lightweight device but the camera is lacking. I carry an iPhone 13 Mini which I prefer because of the small size. I get remarkable photos with the main camera but I miss the telephoto my old phone had (because of how it cropped images, not because of any real “telephoto” uses like photographing birds at a distance). The Pro models have stunning cameras but are expensive and heavier/larger.

I’m saying the following as a participant, not a moderator: I hope this doesn’t devolve into an Apple vs Android debate. Also, let’s not turn this into a tiresome refrain of “People shouldn’t bring electronics into the wilderness because I make a different choice.” Let’s just answer David’s question about whether he can replace multiple devices with one device.

Thanks, Matthew, that’s helpful info.  And I appreciate the admonishment of your last paragraph.  I speak as someone who is too often guilty of offering advice that was not asked for.  :)

From looking at the Apple website, it looks like the iphone 12 mini has more or less the same camera as the 13 mini, but $100 less expensive.  A high quality camera is definitely one of my priorities, but I’m not sure I’m willing to shell out for a Pro model.

Another specific question; how is the reading experience on an iphone?  The screen will be quite a bit smaller and brighter than my NOOK, so I’m a little concerned about this.  Thanks for your advice to an old Luddite.

Despite using the same sensor and glass, there are significant differences in image quality between the 12 Mini and 13 Mini. I noticed a difference immediately when I upgraded. Something about the processing is far superior. I think it’s worth the $100, YMMV.

I don’t have time to read many books these days but I read a ton of blog posts as well as content from The New Yorker, The Atlantic and the NYT on my phone. I have read several books on my phone but I’d much rather read a real book. I suspect an e-ink display is a much nicer reading experience than a phone. Apple’s Books.app does allow you to change typeface and size in order to optimize the experience. I wish I could give you a more specific answer.

Personally, I don’t like reading on an iPhone.

AK Granola:  For great photos on the Denali bus to show the neighbors back home, just download professional photos of the species you saw and claim them as your own.  They’ll be much better than any you take yourself leaning over another tourist.  To everyone’s benefit.

TIL that there are 120-volt inverters and USB outlets powered by cordless tool batteries.  Who among us doesn’t have a fleet of DeWalt, Ryobi, and/or EGO batteries of 12-, 18-, 20- to 40-volts for cordless drills, weed whackers and lawnmowers?  150-watt 12-volt inverters are $85-$100 and 2-port USB outlets are $25, some with LED lights.

That’s not UL, but it’s a lot of battery capacity you already have in your garage so, especially for a silent power source while car camping or boating, or if you have a ton of electronics while hiking (photogs, researchers, etc), it’s a minimal added cost for that functionality.

Circling back to thank folks for the helpful information, especially matthew k, who was extremely helpful.  I was leaning towards the 13 Mini, but wimped out and went with the SE instead.  I couldn’t quite justify apending that much money on something I intend to use pretty infrequently.  So, for now, I’m continuing to carry a camera.  I decided to think of the smartphone not as something that would decrease my weight, but as something that would increase my safety by providing me with additional navigation information.  I’m still trying to figure out how to use the thing, and though I am confirmed in my dislike for smartphones, there is no doubt that it is a very powerful tool.  I downloaded Gaia, and though I experienced some difficulty using it, it was quite helpful on my most recent backpacking trip (I am currently working my way though the BPL Gaia master class, which has been helpful).  Because I didn’t need to use the phone for navigation on this trip (it was all on-trail), the phone received infrequent use, and still had about 30% battery life after 5 days.  Overall I am very pleased with this new piece of backpacking gear.

A few thoughts: The watch would be the first thing to go. I’ll admit, I don’t understand all the features, but most of those are a lot more useful in town than when backpacking. It sounds like a training device, and when you are hiking, you aren’t training — you are doing. In some cases, it is nice to know your heart rate (to make sure it isn’t that high) but you can learn to take your own pulse (without a watch) or simply slow down, take deep breaths and go when you heart isn’t beating like crazy.

The Garmin Mini is the other end of the spectrum. It is easy to say you don’t need it, but it really depends on your particular situation. I know people with health issues and without it they would do different trips. Or their loved ones would be more nervous. I don’t use one, but I can definitely see the value.

GPS (on a phone or as a stand-alone device) is handy, but not essential in my book. It just makes things quicker. Map and compass (as well as good navigation skills and sensible choices) can work just as well, but they take longer. The Garmin also serves as a fallback if you really screw up. I tend to use GPS a lot more in the early season, when there is a lot of snow. But it really hasn’t changed my hiking — I just spend less time navigating. Unless you are doing a lot of tricky off-trail navigation, I would get by with map and compass.

The camera is the tricky one. I use the camera as a travelog of sorts. I eventually put the pictures on the web (on a Flickr account) and it allows me to catalog every hike. I really don’t need to do that for backpacking, as there are far fewer of those for me, and making notes about them would be much easier.

Once in a while I’ll take a really good picture, but I’m not a great photographer. I find it better to just explain that “the pictures don’t do it justice” then spending a lot of time getting the best shot. But that’s me. Photography is an art. There are lots of great photographers out there, and it more than just their technical prowess; it is their artistic expression. If that is you, then do your thing. But if you are just trying to show your friends what it is like, you are probably better off leaving it at home. Either they get it, or they don’t. Of course if you are taking pictures of your friends, that is, in some sense, priceless. There is a reason folks have photo albums consisting mostly of pictures of kids and grandkids.

But it doesn’t have to be one or the other. You might take it for a trip, then leave it at home the next time. My brother and his daughter hiked the Muir trail, and he left the camera at home. He is a much better photographer than me (his slide shows back in the day were stunning) but it isn’t like the area hasn’t been photographed before. It is liberating to not have a camera.

Or ignore it. As it turns out, yesterday was one of the best wildlife days in years, even though it was just a day hike. My wife and I saw pikas, marmots, bears and mountain goats all within minutes of each other. I took several pictures, but after a while, just ignored my camera. I kind of wish I had a better picture of that baby goat that was within about ten feet of me, but I didn’t want to spook the mom and besides, just enjoying the moment was nicer. There were plenty of other hikers, and plenty of other people taking pictures, many with lots better cameras (SLRs with a nice zoom lenses). I just don’t see how my pictures can compete.

Which leads me to my other story. While on a trip to Denali, the bus ran across its share of wildlife. We also woke up and saw the Northern Lights. But again, there were others with much better cameras taking pictures. I didn’t bother, but simply asked for the email address of the guy with the nicest camera. I referenced his pictures along with the ones that I took (when I was hiking solo). That’s cheating in a sense (I could still show up to my friends, without doing the work) but not that different than what my brother did. He (and his daughter) couldn’t show pictures from their trip (like I did) but they could point to the web if there is any question as to the beauty or type of terrain for their trip.

One last thing about the camera: While I often hike with my wife, I take plenty of trips without her. She really likes looking at my pictures, so there is that.

I ended up on a longer trip where I tested out somethings. I brought an unfortunately defective 20kmah power bank which proved to be a considerable problem but had it worked right would have replaced my larger solar power bank for 2-4wk. I brought a coros apex 1 which was able to record gps track for 4-5 days without any recharge. I used it constantly as an altimeter and also was able to maintain a good pace watching hr so I never bonked, which is a first for me. Normally I push it and crash all the time, then gorge sort of thing. This was a higher than usual trip so my heart was racing even at slower paces and the hr monitor ended up being pretty useful. This made it so I really only used my phone for photos and occasionally for clarifying my off trail route when maps weren’t enough, and for ease with Garmin messages and the like. The Garmin ended up being used every day because the weather went bad repeatedly and pretty seriously.

My phone was fine for photos but I did miss my real camera since the photos couldn’t quite cut it at times. Not sure if I’m willing to add an extra 2lb to my kit on a long trip like that but on a shorter one I will since it’s one of my loves both during the trip and after. None of this is as minimalist as I’d like but whatcha going to do?

None of this is as minimalist as I’d like but whatcha going to do?
Just a thought: have you considered leaving all the electronics behind – all of it, and relying instead on a map and compass and a simple watch? Some of us do that.

You could travel lighter, afford to carry a decent camera perhaps, and take good photos.

Cheers

I think it’s some kind of tech/electronics/phone addition… er… one of the most effective strategies for lowering pack weight is to leave things home you don’t need.. and cheapest. Geez… back in the 80’s I did the JMT before there were cell phones or apps or electronic watches… took a compass, but really did not need it… it’s a trail !!! Any nod fiddling with phones, etc., you get more immersed in the experience of nature and feel more self-reliant… no right or wrong here, but there are options that many no longer consider… :)))